JLL has acquired San Diego-based Gilliland Construction Management, a project management company that has experience working on life sciences, lab, retail, hospitality, industrial, multifamily and office properties. Kirt Gilliland, a construction-industry veteran, founded the firm in 2015, and has grown the company to a team of eight people.

As part of the acquisition, Gilliland will join JLL as SVP, overseeing the firm's Project and Development Services business in San Diego, working with Jay Pich, regional managing director of JLL Southwest project and development services, who leads the division in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Hawaii, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The team currently oversees $3 billion in construction projects.

According to Peter Belisle, market director for JLL's Southwest region, expanding the team has been a priority for the firm as a response to increasing development activity in life science, lab, industrial and multifamily. "From this point on, our clients will be able to tap a more robust platform of project and development services," he said in a statement.